Almost as certain as the return of summer (but much less welcome), recent weeks have seen the resurgence of public protests against overtourism in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. With the introduction of visitor taxes across many European cities and the ever-increasing awareness of the true cost of overtourism, it’s hardly surprising that many destinations are now looking to regenerative tourism as a welcome solution to a complex problem.
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Offering a different perspective on a widely debated issue, regenerative tourism has many benefits, one of which is the opportunity to create a positive impact on local communities. In the UK and Ireland, regenerative tourism is now lauded as a force for good, a means of contributing to — rather than taking from — a place. With that thought firmly in mind, it’s time to explore how destination marketing organisations (DMOs) can harness the insights gleaned from these new findings to drive positive results within the places they represent.

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Regenerative tourism: the background

In contrast to sustainable tourism — which focusses on minimising tourism’s impact on an area — the goal of regenerative tourism is to actively restore and revitalise communities, economies, and even ecosystems. The overall aim is to create a positive impact on a destination to ensure that a place is left just a little bit better off after each and every visit. But more than anything else, this is an approach that ensures tourism, as a large-scale activity, makes a positive contribution to individual communities and the wider world.

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Positive perspectives from the UK and Ireland

As recent findings from Fáilte Ireland and Visit Britain reveal, the perspective on tourism in Ireland and the UK is resoundingly positive. According to research by the former organisation, 91% of respondents agreed that tourism is good for their county when regenerative in its approach. Meanwhile, research from the latter body indicates 72% of the British public are proud that visitors come to the UK from around the world. When viewed comprehensively, findings from both bodies indicate increased community pride, enhanced social cohesion, and economic growth are just a few of the positive outcomes linked to regenerative tourism.

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How DMOs can harness the power of regenerative tourism

DMOs should embrace the kinds of strategies that prioritise both community engagement and sustainable practices to fully realise the benefits of regenerative tourism. By involving local communities in tourism planning and decision-making, DMOs can ensure their needs and values are protected and respected — even as tourism develops within a destination. For DMOs that want to make genuine strides in nurturing regenerative tourism in their area, examples of tangible strategies include (but should by no means be limited to): the promotion of local culture and heritage, offering support to businesses with genuine eco-friendly credentials, and the careful implementation of conservation initiatives.

Visit Britain’s research makes it clear there’s a strong appetite among travellers to see the world in a way that adds value to a place or a community. Indeed, according to its findings, almost 60% of respondents indicated they make an effort to leave their surroundings better than they found them. With the summer season upon us and many travellers planning their holidays, there’s never been a better time for destinations to engage with this positive attitude.

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Regenerative tourism in action

The destination marketing industry is responding to this shift in thought among travellers. Indeed, as the following examples show, many Simpleview clients have already taken steps to incorporate regenerative tourism into their wider destination strategies:

• Bristol: In 2024, the visitor economy of Bristol, Bath, and the greater West of England region was worth a record £246 billion, and — according to new statistics from tourism body Visit West — supported 46,000 jobs. Visit West’s overarching regenerative tourism strategy has been to encourage visitors to stay longer in the region. The idea is that the more time travellers spend in the area, the more their spending power will help support the wider local economy.

• Northern Ireland: Here, a wider agenda for a regenerative tourism strategy — part of the nation’s drive to recovery in the post-pandemic years — was revealed back in 2021. Today, local business within the destination are taking steps to support the greater narrative of regenerative tourism within Northern Ireland.

• Cumbria: Cumbria Tourism places a strong emphasis on regenerative tourism. As an organisation, it offers both local businesses and visitors all they need to nurture regenerative tourism within the region — from help with funding to encouraging positive traveller behaviour.
  
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Leaning on digital to leverage the power of regenerative tourism

As we’ve previously explored in our regenerative tourism eBook, there are many ways destinations can leverage digital platforms to ensure this positive approach to travel is reflected in their online presence. If you’re seeking to nurture regenerative tourism within your area, consider the following strategies:

• Make an effort to create content that celebrates your local area. Be it festivals or fairs — whatever your destination has to offer — great content can help you to make the most of what’s happening in your area. With a tailored content management solution, DMOs can create engaging websites that actively promotes regenerative tourism through content.
• ... But don’t forget to measure its impact. OK, so you’ve put the thought, time, and effort into a regenerative tourism strategy via your web content. But how can you capture the results of all that work? With a dedicated destination management system, DMOs can gauge their efforts using tourism management and promotion tools to coordinate efforts and track the impact of their initiatives. Turn those web visits into consumer driven insights to further the aims of your destination, drive visitors and promote the content that delivers results.
• Build on a platform of eager engagement. Interest in and awareness of regenerative tourism has never been higher. Capitalise on this with targeted marketing and engagement strategies. Think about how you can harness the audience insights and data that are available to you to create targeted campaigns to drive visitors in destination. And when they’re in destination – consider how you can track to see their activity and what is driving visitors to further improve and enhance your activities.
• Help your visitors to help themselves. You improve visitors’ overall experience within your destination by giving them the opportunity (and the independence) to sustainably plan their journeys. Sustainable travel planning tools can offer personalised travel recommendations, ensuring DMOs can encourage eco-friendly choices within the areas they represent.
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From the British Isles and beyond, regenerative tourism offers a different perspective on an issue that’s been debated year after year, summer after summer. Now — with destinations and travellers aligned in their support of this new approach — it’s the perfect time to embrace the good that regenerative tourism can bring to each and every place.

The article was written in partnership with Simpleview, a Granicus company.